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Rays release Minor League first baseman Anderson

Rays release Minor League first baseman Anderson

2/23/13: Leslie Anderson hits a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to give the Rays a 4-2 lead over the Red Sox

By Bill Chastain
/
MLB.com |

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays released Minor League first baseman Leslie Anderson on Friday.

According to the team's notice, the Rays did so to "allow him to pursue an opportunity in Asia."

Anderson, 31, defected from Cuba in September 2009 after hitting .381 in his final season in Cuba's National Series. The Rays signed him as a non-drafted free agent on April 13, 2010.

He hit .292 with 14 home runs and 74 RBIs for Triple-A Durham in 2013. In four seasons in the Rays' farm system, Anderson hit .295 with 52 home runs and 244 RBIs. He had a .350 OBP, .441 slugging percentage and a .790 OPS.

Anderson was named Durham's Most Valuable Player following the 2012 season when he hit .309 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs for the Bulls.

Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.